With sunshine in the weekend’s forecast, it appears the overtime hours put in by area gutters this week will get time off for now.
The more than 4 inches of rain that fell between the afternoon of May 18 into the late-night hours of May 21, has led to a rapid rise in lake levels, according to a news release from International Rainy – Lake of the Woods Watershed Board Tuesday.
Rainy Lake exceeded the International Joint Commission’s Upper Rule Curve May 21, and is expected to continue rising in the near term as tributary flows increase. Operators at the dam, near International Falls, and Fort Frances, have opened all five canal gates and eight dam gates to allow for maximum outflow.
“Water levels are rising rapidly,” said Lee Grim, member of the International Rainy – Lake of the Woods Watershed Board, or IRLWWB. “We’re hoping to get a break in the rain and get the water through the system.”
At the present lake level, opening additional gates will not increase the lake outflow due to constrictions upstream at Ranier Rapids and Pither’s Point, Grim said. A rising of the level of Rainy Lake will result in additional outflow. The IRLWWB is regularly monitoring conditions in the watershed and will post updates as conditions warrant.
“Mother Nature is in control and this is something that happens a lot in the spring,” Grim said of rising water levels. “As a board, we are listening to concerns and working out getting additional information out to the public.”
The board recommends property owners and users of the system continue to keep themselves updated on basin conditions for at least the next few weeks. Up-to-date information can be found on Boise’s website, lakes.bc.com; on the Lake of the Woods Control Board website, www.lwcb.ca; IRLWWB website, http://ijc.org/en_/RLWWB; and on the Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District website, www.mvp-wc.usace.army.mil.
People can also call 800-661-5922 for more information.
Burning restrictions
Wet conditions have lowered the fire danger and prompted the Department of Natural Resources to lift burning restrictions in all or parts of 32 Minnesota counties, however, restrictions remain in effect for Koochiching, Cook, Kittson, Lake, Lake of the Woods, Marshall, Pennington, Roseau, north St. Louis and north Beltrami counties. It is anticipated these will be lifted soon.
Although the state burning restrictions are lifted in several counties, local areas, counties or municipalities may have specific regulations or restrictions that affect burning operations. A DNR release encourages the public to check with local authorities to obtain proper permits before burning.
Because fire danger can change quickly, DNR foresters can turn off burning permits in individual counties whenever conditions warrant. This could occur if there is a dry, windy day when fires could start easily and burn quickly. Check the fire restrictions page at www.dnr.state.mn.us for information on daily changes to burn permits.
Still chilly
Meanwhile, recent rainfall has left Borderland with green grass and budding trees, but temperatures still suggest spring hasn’t fully sprung.
“We are well below the normal temperature wise,” said Kevin Huyck, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Duluth.
Typically, Huyck said the temperatures in the latter part of May are in the upper 60s and low 70s. While area thermometers have tipped to the average temperature already this month, the averages temperatures have hovered in the 50-degree range or lower.
And, the meteorologist said Borderland could still see some freezing temperatures overnight and advisories will be issued if frost is expected after Monday.
“We start advisories a little later than some of our neighboring stations, but we have seen it happen after Memorial Day,” Huyck said.
For a complete weather forecast, visit www.crh.noaa.gov/dlh.
